Using Insurance for Auto Glass: How a Glass Claim Usually Goes

Nobody plans for a cracked windshield, and the first reaction is often a sigh followed by a vague worry about dealing with the insurance company. It doesn't have to be a headache. Most glass claims follow the same basic path, and knowing the steps ahead of time takes a lot of the guesswork out. We're a glass shop, not your insurer, so we can't tell you what your policy covers. What we can do is show you how these claims usually go and help you through the parts that confuse people.

Start with your policy

Glass coverage varies a lot from one policy to the next. Some policies treat glass under the same coverage as other non-collision damage. Some carry a separate glass provision, and some don't include it at all. Whether there's a deductible, how large it is, and whether it applies to a repair or only to a replacement all depend on your policy, and the only people who can answer that are your insurer or agent. It's worth a quick look at your declarations page or a short phone call before you decide how to proceed.

It also helps to compare. If the damage is a small chip, a repair may cost less than you'd expect to pay out of pocket, and our in-shop chip repair special is advertised at $35 (call for today's price). A larger crack or a camera windshield is a different calculation. Either way, you're making the call with real numbers instead of guessing.

What to have ready

• Your insurance company name and policy number, which are on your card or in the insurer's app.
• The year, make and model of the vehicle, and the VIN, which you can read through the windshield at the base of the driver's side.
• A rough account of when and how the damage happened, even if it's just a rock on the highway last Tuesday.
• A couple of phone photos of the damage, with one wide shot and one close.
• Whether the car has a lane camera or other driver assistance features, because that changes what the job involves.

None of that is hard to find, and having it on hand makes the first phone call quick. If you're missing something, we can usually help you track it down.

Where the shop comes in

A Touch of Glass & Screen is pre-approved with all insurance companies, and we provide claim assistance. In plain terms, that means we've worked with insurers for a long time and we know what they ask for. Our shop's own wording is that when a window cracks or breaks, dealing with your insurance company can be frustrating and even confusing, and that we help walk you through the claim. That's the job, and we'd rather do it than have you stuck on hold.

You don't have to figure out the paperwork alone. Call us with your insurance information, tell us what happened, and we'll go from there. If there's a question only your insurer can answer, we'll tell you straight and point you to the right question to ask.

What the visit looks like

Once the claim is sorted and a time is set, the work itself is fairly quick. We also do mobile service at no extra charge in Oroville and the surrounding area, so for many customers the glass gets replaced at home or at work. One of our Google reviewers, Bill Cibart, described the timing well: it takes “about 45 minutes for the window replacement” and then an hour for the adhesive to set up. Your car, your glass, and your schedule will differ a bit, but that gives you the picture.

If your car has a forward camera, the recalibration happens in our shop after the windshield goes in. That's one more reason to mention it on the first call, so the visit is planned around it. Then we go over the aftercare, including what to do and not do in the first day, and you're on your way.

Questions worth asking your insurer

A few short questions can save you a surprise later. Does my policy cover glass, and is it handled differently from other claims? Is there a deductible for this, and does it change for a repair versus a replacement? Does filing a glass claim affect my renewal, and if so, how? How are payments handled between you and the shop? We can't answer those for your policy, and a good agent will answer them in a few minutes.

The shop is at 2601 South 5th Avenue in Oroville, open Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 and Saturday from 9 to 1. Call (530) 538-8100 with your insurance card in hand, and we'll take it from there.